Crumbling Empire Series by Maia Terry

NataliaI never thought the fate of the Belov Empire would be on my shoulders. I never expected my brother to be murdered, either. At least Declan has made it clear I have his support. But I can’t let his quest for revenge deter me from the promise I made to my brother. I will not turn into my father.As if that wasn’t enough, I must find a suitor who can run with the mafia. Time is running out as my twenty-third birthday quickly approaches... moreNataliaI never thought the fate of the Belov Empire would be on my shoulders. I never expected my brother to be murdered, either. At least Declan has made it clear I have his support. But I can’t let his quest for revenge deter me from the promise I made to my brother. I will not turn into my father.As if that wasn’t enough, I must find a suitor who can run with the mafia. Time is running out as my twenty-third birthday quickly approaches. Will Declan stand by his word?DeclanMarriage and revenge. That was my promise to Natalia four years ago. I’ve spent countless hours trying to find Dmitri’s murderer, and even more time chasing away the riffraff trying to worm its way into Natalia’s heart. I can’t let anyone, or anything, get in my way to claim her.In the midst of everything else, I must also keep the O’Connor Empire running smoothly. With the presence of my father looming in every doorway, just waiting on me to screw up, I’m constantly on edge. With the future of the two Empires hanging in the balance, will Natalia and Declan be able to overcome the obstacles thrown their way? Or will the ultimate betrayal send both crumbling to the ground?Fatal Vow is Book One in the Crumbling Empire universe that ends on a cliffhanger with Book Two releasing later this year. FV contains mature themes that may be disturbing to some readers. Please refer to the trigger warnings located in the front of the book. less

Book Two in the Crumbling Empire Duology.Blurb may contain spoilers from book one.NataliaHow can everything be broken?My marriage to Declan in pieces. My heart and trust shattered beyond repair.My husband, the one person I should have been able to count on, is now the one I have to guard my heart from.How has it come to this?DeclanI failed Natalia, and now she’s gone.Every vow we made was cast aside, and for what? An unnecessary secret... moreBook Two in the Crumbling Empire Duology.Blurb may contain spoilers from book one.NataliaHow can everything be broken?My marriage to Declan in pieces. My heart and trust shattered beyond repair.My husband, the one person I should have been able to count on, is now the one I have to guard my heart from.How has it come to this?DeclanI failed Natalia, and now she’s gone.Every vow we made was cast aside, and for what? An unnecessary secret.If it takes scorching the earth to bring her back, that’s what I will do.I’ll never stop searching for her.My wife. My love.She needs to be home, and I will stop at nothing to fix every mistake, to mend the oath I made.Mended Oath contains themes that may be triggering to some. Please refer to the trigger warnings located at the front of the book. less

FinnBeing the underboss for the most powerful mafia Don this side of the Mississippi requires a certain level of detachment. After vowing to myself I would never have a family, too afraid of what it’d be like to lose them, I pride myself in being so disconnected from all feelings. Especially when having emotions can get you killed in this line of work, I don’t need the distraction... moreFinnBeing the underboss for the most powerful mafia Don this side of the Mississippi requires a certain level of detachment. After vowing to myself I would never have a family, too afraid of what it’d be like to lose them, I pride myself in being so disconnected from all feelings. Especially when having emotions can get you killed in this line of work, I don’t need the distraction.When my world is turned upside down from a single lapse of judgment, will I go back on my vow? Will I be able to balance the life of a reaper and a family man, or will the lines get so blurred that the damage is irreparable?SkylarGetting out before things get bad are what many people hope for, but rarely any victims achieve. Swearing I’d never marry again, I set out on a new adventure across the state. Plans and aspirations in tow, I decide I’m going to take my life back. However, after one drunken night with the most charismatic man, I find myself in a surprising predicament.Days drag into weeks as I work to avoid him. I make mission impossible happen changing shifts with coworkers when I know he’ll be in. My situation doesn’t get any better, the stress rising that much higher. There’s only so much time before the past comes back to bite.What will happen when I finally come clean? How will I adjust to my new life?Split Persona is book 3 in the Crumbling Empire series but can be read as a standalone! less

Death.One of the several mysteries of the world. Often, it sneaks up on you like a thief in the night, generally when you least expect it. Those who are unlucky face death head on, unable to stop it or slow it down. They watch as their life catches fire, a blaze that is uncontainable. You watch as your life flashes before your eyes as an unwilling participant, your body igniting like an inferno. Those who come close enough tend to get engulfed in our flames... moreDeath.One of the several mysteries of the world. Often, it sneaks up on you like a thief in the night, generally when you least expect it. Those who are unlucky face death head on, unable to stop it or slow it down. They watch as their life catches fire, a blaze that is uncontainable. You watch as your life flashes before your eyes as an unwilling participant, your body igniting like an inferno. Those who come close enough tend to get engulfed in our flames. When our worlds collide, I realize that people can burn hotter in bliss than they can in misery. I’d always hoped that I’d be one of the lucky ones to see the other side. I dreamed of a time where we would make it out of this whole. A time where neither of us are burnt to a crisp from our pasts.Alas, we don’t always get what we want.Life.Over and over again, I've had things taken away from me. Deprived of my hopes and dreams, always told I cannot do something simply because I'm a woman. In another life, I may have bowed to their opinions, but not here. Not now. Taking my life back is a top priority, and I have every intention of following through. Meeting a man who embodied domination was not in my plans, it was not something I craved… until now. Sinful, overwhelming, and oozes power, he takes me on thrills of a lifetime, puts the spark back in my heart to fix the fissure from previous breakage.Regrettably, only good things come to those who wait.*The Restoration is book four in the Crumbling Empire series. It can be read as a standalone, although it is recommended that books one and two be read first as The Restoration contains spoilers.* less